«Bremer Bürger-Zeitung». 1916, No. 139, 16 June 1916. "International Socialists of Germany and the 'Internationale' Group" 62

Comrade Kneif writes to us from his vacation:

"The «Bremer Bürger-Zeitung» published the day before yesterday an editorial note to the appeal of the 'Internationale' group, which may contribute to the spread of erroneous views on the relations between the International Socialists of Germany (ISG) and the 'Internationale' group."

We have, they say, spoken more than once about the relationship of these groups, especially in No. 77 (of 31 March) in the leading article.

There one can read:

"The Opposition consists of two principally distinct groups: of the party center (Kautsky... Haase—Ledebur... «Die Neue Zeit»... «Leipziger Volkszeitung», «Vorwärts»)... and left-radicalism, to which belong... the ISG and the 'Internationale' group... («Lichtstrahlen», «Bremer Bürger-Zeitung», the Brunswick «Volksfreund», «Der Sozialdemokrat» (Stuttgart)), as well as, though not entirely consistently, certain Rhenish organs."

The Brunswick «Volksfreund» was left-radical under the editorship of Talheimer—now, under the editorship of Wesemeyer, it "represents the point of view of the center."

In No. 74 (28 March) «Bremer Bürger-Zeitung» published (in the absence of Henke) a note from the Brunswick «Volksfreund» to the effect that this newspaper stood (at that time stood) on the position of the 'Internationale' group (and in the "guiding theses of the letters of 'Spartacus'" sees its own "tactical and principled program")...

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NOTEBOOK "O" ("OMICRON")

"The ISG and the 'Internationale' group, then, are not identical. Both represent left-radicalism and are characterized tactically especially by their opposition against the party center and 'Social-Democratic business cooperation.' But whereas the ISG took up this position from the very beginning, the 'Internationale' group only gradually withdrew from the opposition, which grouped itself around Ledebur—Haase. The «Bremer Bürger-Zeitung» welcomed at that time this process as a further step bringing clarity (No. 74, 28 March)... The 'Internationale' group has since conducted a sharp and energetic struggle against 'Social-Democratic business cooperation' in its letters of 'Spartacus.'"

(cited from the latest letter of 'Spartacus').

"In this their attitude toward private property" (private property of 'Social-Democratic business cooperation'??) "the ISG and the 'Internationale' group, as stated, are entirely in agreement with one another, although they diverge on certain other questions."

Both groups work "within the framework of the existing organization," "so long as this does not become impossible for them because of the tyranny of party bureaucracy"...

This is, they say, all important, because one often makes mistakes and attempts to "erase the boundary between the center and left-radicalism"...

"How far the two groups will advance along the path of separate organizational existence will, of course, entirely depend on the development of intra-party relations. In any case, in the interests of clarity, one should welcome that they differ externally by their names." (End.)

Johann Kneif